Frank Kikuchi
Licensing |
Frank Kikuchi was born in Seattle, Washington on October 21, 1924. He had one sister, Yoshiko, and two half siblings, Chiyo and George. Frank's parents were Issei, his mother from Fukuoka and his father from Iwate. During World War II, Frank and his family were incarcerated at the Manzanar concentration camp. Frank lived on Block 20, with notable figures such as the Miyatake family, Sue Kunitomi and his best friend, Hikoji Takeuchi. After the war, Frank relocated to Boyle Heights. He was married to his wife, Tama, for 56 years until she passed away in 2004. The couple had five children together, and Frank eventually started his own market, "F and H Market." Frank is now a docent at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo. When he is not busy giving tours and educating others about the history of Japanese Americans, Frank loves to spend time with his children and go fishing.
This collection tells Frank's story. It is a story that deserves to be told, one of challenges, perseverance, strength and love. To read an article about Frank's story, please see: The Power of a Story: Intern Learns Importance of Personal Histories